


Retired mercs through space and time.

by Kamikaze_187



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Crossfaction, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Romantic Fluff, helmet party
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:28:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26654440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamikaze_187/pseuds/Kamikaze_187
Summary: Dell and Jane lives after they decided to have retired from the war and moved to a quiet cabin away from the world where they can live with each other.what does the future hold for them? there's only one way to find out that.
Relationships: Engineer/Soldier (Team Fortress 2)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	1. The arrival of winter

**Author's Note:**

> Some shorts chapter about some kind situation that they will face.

It was one calm morning in the cabin, the two of them were sitting together in that confy-red couch by the fire. Dell had his head resting against Jane’s shoulder, and the man has one arm around the small one keeping him closer, they had their hands wrapped around each other. Their feet were propped up on a small table, they were holding half empty cups of hot chocolate just how they love. A big fluffy blanket with snowflakes that adorn it covered their laps. sleeping next to the fireplace was pancake, dell's corgi dog that jane had given him as a Anniversary's surprise. and at Jane’s side was Lieutenant Bites II curled in a loose ball. In a corner of their log cabin was a big pile of some box with some decorations, Christmas was around the corner after all and they couldn't wait to start decorating the house with all kinds of silly Christmas decorations. 

Outside it was snowing, soft snowflakes floating gently down to the already covered ground. No one of them minded the snow outside, It gave them the perfect excuse to cuddle up by the fire. Dell softly hummed as he stretched his arms a little. The small hum turned into a yawn, he was feeling too content and warm to stay up for much longer. he feel soft lips in the corner of his eye and smile. 

dell closes his eyes little by little as sleep slowly takes over him. Jane chuckled and pulled away without shaking to much the other, he finds Dell’s sleepy face adorable. He moved his arms around his lover, pulling him close to kiss him. This action take dell by surprise but a second later he returned the kiss. It was a slow, gentle kiss, with no real heat behind it but it was really sweet. 

when they part, dell responds in the following way, which is lovingly biting jane's lower lip enough to cause slight pain. He did this for two reasons, one because Jane just interrupted him when he was about to take a short nap using his lover's comfort shoulder as a means of support, second because the kiss didn't last any longer.

“You have the cutest face in the earth sweetheart.” teased Jane. Dell couldn’t help but chuckle and Jane joined him.

"Why do you always say me that?"

"Because it's true." They laughed a bit more for a good ten seconds before they calmed down. 

Dell looked at jane in the eye, "thanks to you, dummie, i'm wide awake and bored now, take care of that right now." Jane chuckled and looked around to think about what they could do now, he was also starting to feel bored sitting here doing nothing.

Jane looked out the window at the snow. "you think on something?" Dell asks.

"If you want, we can go outside in the snow for a bit. Remember when we used to play in the snow and make a snowman? We could do that."

Dell couldn't help but laugh a little at that suggestion. "Don't you think we're a little too old to be playing in the snow and making snowmans?"

"You can be old for some things." jane kisses Dell's cheek lovingly, "but never for having some fun."

Dell sigh and snuggles into Jane's chest. "But It's very nice here, I don't want to move, it's also cold outside and here-" He positions himself in the middle of the other's neck, caressing the skin with his cheek, "here it is warm." He whispered in the other ear.

"Didn't you say a second ago that you were bored cupcake?" teased Jane arching an brow.

"Mm... I can change of mind if I want okay?" Dell sigh, "fine. Let's go outside, it could be fun. Also it could be a good opportunity to get to the store and buy something." Jane only nod and moves away from the couch to the closet. Jane grabbed two coats from the closet, one for himself and gives the other one to dell. they put on their respective woolen gloves and an extra pair of pants. dell was about to grab his favorite woolen hat but jane stops him before he did so. It was the same jane who place the cap on dell's head and when he was doing it, slowly, he keep eye contact all the time while giving him a loving smile. dell can't help but smile too as a blush climb up through his own cheeks when he sees those sweet crystal blue in front of him along with the feeling of one hand cupping his face in a so sweet way. Jane was lost with those beautiful green ones in front of him that bright like two emeralds that he couldn't stop watching even if he wanted to. without wasting time he put their lips together in a sweet, passionate and lovely kiss. Both feeling complete now with their company and the fact that they love each other so much that they wouldn't wish anything else in this world that isn't being with the other at their side. Dell lend into the kiss and letting jane wrap a soft blue scarf around his neck.

once they parted, jane gave Dell a little hug along with a little kiss on the cheek.

"Ready to go?" he asks in a soft tone. "whenever you want." and Dell responds. holding hands they walk to the entrance of the cabin. "jane?" Jane stops before opening the door. "Yes love?"

"You remember that a few days ago we received a letter from the others saying that they will arrive sooner to spend a few days here, right?"

"Of course I remember it."

"And do you also remember that it will be Christmas soon?"

"Yes, why do you ask that?"

"for nothing."

Jane, grinning, shoots him an arched brow look. "Are you afraid that I forgot this year and won't buy you your present?"

"ah ... no." dell try to looks innocent. but it does not work.

Jane chuckles, "Don't worry sweetheart. This year I thought about it in advance and I already have the perfect gift just for you."

Dell smile when he hears that, "aww ... did you get the trouble of doing that just for me?"

"only for you my love." Lightly, Jane caresses that smooth skin of his cheek and his cover hand rested against the jaw as an thumb stroked his cheekbone. Raising his hand, Dell pressed the palm deeper into his skin. And even though he is only feeling the wool of the glove, he knows very well that it is him. "What did I do to deserve you?" Jane responds with a light kiss on the other's knuckles.

Without more to say, the two of them get out of the house into the white snow.

.


	2. The beauty of spring

It's a beautiful day outside. Flowers are blooming after a long cold wait to this day. the birds sang their typical songs while eating seeds from that aviary in the middle of the garden. pancake can finally go outside to play without having to wear a dog sweater. 

Days like these were perfect to go out for a while and enjoy the morning.

Unfortunately that wasn't the case for the poor Jane, who was grounded for eating, without asking, the lemon pie that Dell himself had prepared the night before so that both could enjoy together the next day.

Dell decided to punish the man with doing all the gardening chores. chores like relocate all the pots, change the soil of the plants, collect all the garbage from the ground, clean the dog's residues, collect the remains of some dead animals that bites II or pancake had left behind, remove all the weeds and finally mowing the grass that had grown quite large until today.

"can I rest now!?" Jane scream from the other side of the garden.

"Not until you pick up all the cut grass from the ground and put it in with the rest of the garbage bags!" He scream back.

Jane muttered something under his breath, kicking an rock, as he made his way to the shed to take the rake, a shovel and some garbage bags.

"Did you say something?"

"nothing!"

Dell feels a little sorry for the man and that he is doing all the work alone. but it is what he deserves for having eaten the whole pie without even leaving a single slice behind.

After having finished for once, Jane walks weakly slowly to the bench where dell is waiting for him with a glass of lemonade and with the good pancake at his side. Jane collapsed on the seat, his arms were weak and tired from so much work that he was even unable to lift the glass to his mouth. Dell help him with that by lifting the glass for him and holding it to his mouth so he can drink some of the liquid. 

"You did a good job." Dell said kindly and pat his head. 

"Thanks." he said sarcastically, "we are fine now?" 

"Not yet."

"Aw... what now?" 

"I still need to give you your reward for a good job though."

"What reward? It is more work to-" dell places what appears to be a crown made of white flowers on Jane's head, "what is this?" jane asks looking up to see the object in his head.

"It's a flower crown. I made it myself just for you for being a good boy."

"Seriously? I didn't know you could do those things."

"There are things you still don't know about me, my darling."

"hmm. very true." Jane looks again at the crown on his head. "It's nice. Coming from you even more."

"I knew that you would like it." He pinched his cheek in a playful way. pancake raised her little paws so Dell could stroke her head, she was telling him that she also wants one of those things on her head.

"I hope you rest well you know. because we still have to clean inside the house though."

Jane throws himself to the ground and pretends that he is dead.

"Aw, heheh. You know you're being mean when you try to play dead to me." dell stands up and pulls his arm, insisting that he should move but jane does nothing and keeps pretending. Pancake lunges at him and licks his face to try to wake him up but Jane doesn't react or move a muscle even with her kisses.

"Come on. You can't pretend you're dead forever. I'm going to help you clean up this time." Jane still doesn't move.

dell laughs a little, apparently he have to use his ace up his sleeve now. "you know. The earlier we finish cleaning the sooner I can prepare another pie for us."

The second Jane heard the word "pie" he stood up. "And what are you waiting for cheesecake?. Let's go inside! We have a lot of work to do." jane drags Dell into the house. 

Pancake follows them because she also wants to help and win some delicious pie as reward. 

.


	3. Pancake

Jane walk in a slow pace through the streets, with his eyes on the ground, back home after visiting each one of the stores in the city.

Which man in his right mind can forget what day is today? No one! That's it. this is the worst... he is the worst. 

Surely when he gets home and bumps into Dell, the man will give him the face that clarity says how upset, mad and disappointed he was with him at the same time just because he forgot to buy him a gift like the last time.

He only get a simple and ordinary cupcake in that last store he visit... but he feels that it wasn't enough, because he knows that it wasn't enough. Dell deserve the best but this right here isn't the best. 

He's not even sure if he wants to get home now with only this in his hands.

...

jane thinks that he needs to cool down his head for a moment. he spots a small park and a couple of benches not far from his position. He decides to take a seat to calm his nerves a bit and prepare the perfect excuse for when he gets home. But no matter what, he feel disappointed with himself for not getting a good and deserved gift for Dell because of today.

Jane sign.

He gets a little distracted by the construction sounds and repair of the street in front of him, the noise helping him calm down a bit oddly. A new employee in the construction was making a lot of mistakes and causing troubls, it made him laugh a little and get him in a good mood for a little. But what most amused him was seeing that cardboard box stuck on the fresh concrete while that steamroller slowly approached to step on it.

he laughed a little as he imagined the box crushed on the middle of the pavement along with the reaction of the workers in the construction when they discover it.

"!"

Jane rubbed his eyes believing he had dreamed what he just saw, he thought that he saw how the box just moved or tried to shake as it was firmly attached to the pavement.

"Wait the boxes don't move by themselves ... or do they?" Jane asks to himself while watching the box struggles and shake to get out of where it was. "Or maybe... there's something inside that make it move?"

Jane gets up from his seat the second he hears a hump, coming from the same box that was about to be crushed. the steamroller was closer and the box had very little time left before being crushed along with what was inside. If is something there of course or if the box is enchanted. 

Jane acted without thinking and rushed to grab the box of the fresh concrete and run to the other side of the road leaving a trail of footprints behind, and for the rush he let the cupcake fall to the concrete and let it get crushed by the steamroller. the workers insulted jane for playing on the fresh concrete like a hooligan. Jane quickly apologizes and runs off with the box in hand.

once he was far enough and out of troubles, Jane sat where he could, placing the box aside. "there go my new boots and my gift!" he muttered seeing his boots with rest of fresh concrete on them.

He turned to the box with a half annoyed face, "I hope it was worth it the trouble you've gotten me into." he opened the box and looked what was inside ... jane gasp.

He don't believe what was inside the box. 

It was ... He smiled. 

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

Dell, sitting on one of the kitchen chairs, enjoys a simple sandwich that he made for himself because he had been hungry just waiting for so long there. He sees the plate with some breakfast on the other sife of the table, oddly decorates with the theme for this day, that he had prepared for Jane and himself so they could enjoy together this morning and it was getting cold.

He sigh. He was not surprised at all when Jane ran out of the house with the excuse that he was going to get his present for today that he just leave it outside "in the car". he is honestly not surprised if even jane had forgot what day is today.

he sighs again.

even so, he feels a little down and sad that jane will forget it and him a second time. and he even believes that he would not forget it again.

the creak of the door of the main entrance made as it opened brought him out of his meditation.

"Dell?" Jane was calling for him from one of the living rooms, "Dell, where are you?"

"I'm here in the kitchen" he responds and in one bite he finishes what was left of his sandwich.

Jane's head pop's out from the side of the door that was connected to the living room and the kitchen. "Dell, would you mind coming to the living room for a moment? there is someone that I would like to introduce you."

Dell raised an eyebrow and made a confused look "meet who ... jane wait..." Jane ignored him and get back to the living room before even answering a single one of his questions. "Who do you want me to meet now?" He mutters to himself. (It's another random racoon that you found in the streets?)

As he enter in the room slowly, where jane was, he didn't see anyone next to the smiling Jane who was standing in the middle of the room with his hands behind his back. He looked from side to side but found no one in there.

"Jane, what are you-" Before he could ask a single question, Jane silenced him by raising his hand in front of him and pointing to the couch.

Dell looked where he was pointing at, he had not seen that dirty box on the couch. He walk over and opened the box.

"... oh wow, a dirty and empty box. How cute." jane snap from his place. "How are you doing, Mrs. Box? My name is Dell. How was your day? Mine was full of disappointments." Dell took it in his own hands and gave jane a look that said by itself 'are you serious about this?', "jane I'm glad you thought so much of me and how considerate you are to give me this dirty box. Thanks." Dell put sarcasm, disappointment and a bit of sadness in each one of the words that came out of his mouth.

"no ... I didn't just bring you a simple box." Jane search around the room looking for something really desperate "it was here I swear! Inside the box!." 

"Yeah, sure."

"I swear!" Jane keep looking around for what he was searching but he can't found it anywhere. "Maybe it goes to another room." Jane go to another room, continuing his search for whatever he was looking for. dell sighed somewhat annoyed with this whole situation.

"Jane, I swear to you, if what you're trying to do is stop me from scolding you, you're going to..." an strange sound of something breaking in the kitchen put him on alert, making him forget about the man he was yelling at a second ago.

He get into the kitchen and found a scene, someone had just pulled the tablecloth from the table causing the glass of milk and the pancakes that were on the table to fall to the floor. "What the..." Dell internally wonders what just happened here as he gets on his knees to clean up the mess. But then he noticed to his right a small trail of tiny white footprints coming out of the kitchen and heading to the big living room with the stone fireplace. but the trail did not end there, the footprints do a circle around the tiny table, stop in the entrance, go to the living room where was the TV and end in the kitchen again. Dell was feeling like if they where clowning around him with this kind of cat and mouse game. 

Dell heard another disturbing sounds coming from the kitchen, so he entered making as little noise as possible to surprise the culprit of all this mess. The creature was eating the remains of what was on the floor and apparently it seems to have noticed the presence of Dell as well, so before being caught, it threw itself on top of the man who could not defend himself from the attack and was sent to the ground and slapping his butt on the floor.

"hey! stop! haha. don't do that." dell was attacked with licks on his face and neck, which were two of his most sensitive parts of his body, forcing him to laugh. dell finally caught the creature and held it in front of him to see what it was about.

He was holding a very small corgi puppy in his hands. Dell gasp, the dog was very pretty and cuddly before his eyes, which were filled with tenderness when he saw they for a second. the little dog was a bit dirty, they paws were wet with milk and they snout had the rest of the pancakes with honey. the puppy, shaking his tail, stretched they tongue to lick Dell's nose and dell couldn't help but laugh when the puppy did that.

"who are you?" he asked the puppy, unable to stop smiling.

"oh there you are!" Jane enters in the scene, immediately kneeling in front of them.

"Jane, whose dog is this?" Dell asks him.

"it's yours." He responds by looking at the puppy who is now standing on dell's lap.

"...what?."

"What you heard, this doggy is yours now." He smile at Dell, "I found her abandoned all alone in the middle of the street inside that box, it seems that her was abandoned by her owners or by her mother. So I decided to bring her to you, you always said you wanted a pet. Well now you have one."

"Jane ..." the puppy stretched her paws in front of this funny person, as if to say that she is expecting love from this man. Dell put the puppy in his arms and gave her a hug. "It's perfect Jane ... thank you."

"you're welcome." jane hugged them both in this wonderful scene. "Now you just need to give her am proper name."

"mmh ... I don't know, I'm not good with names."

"it's okay. As long as she don't get weird names like ... oh my god!" Jane shifted to the mess behind the table. "My pancakes, no ..."

"It was her fault." dell pointed to the puppy on his lap who had laid down right there and after yawning she got ready to take a nap. Playing catch a little made her feel very tired. "aww ... she must have been starving." Dell mentions and caresses her fur slowly.

"It seems so ... and apparently she really liked your pancakes, she didn't leave even the slightest trace on the ground." Jane mentions while picking up the remains of broken glass from the floor.

Dell sees the dog on his lap and how she slept peacefully With her little eyes closed tight and her light snoring, she was too adorable. "Pancake."

"huh?"

"That will be her name. Pancake." he clarifies himself.

"pancake?" jane asks and Dell just nods, "Pancake ... hm, I like it." 

Jane sit beside the man who was sitting on the floor and next to the new member of the family. He slid one of his arm under dell's shoulder to properly hug him, "Do you know what this means dell?"

"huh?"

Jane place his hand over dell' one and the puppy. "We are parents now."

dell couldn't help but laugh a little at his lover words. "You are right in that."

jane kissed dell's forehead sweetly, "happy anniversary dell."

Dell kiss the other cheek, "happy anniversary jane."

"And happy birthday to you. pancake." Jane whispered to the sleeping dog.

.


	4. Teddy Roosebelt

it was laundry day. Jane and dell were in the basement washing some clothes and sheets for the week, the little pancake was with them. she was watching the washing machine spin because it was really hypnotically for her.

Once it stop, Jane is taking out the last that is left in the automatic washing machine while Dell told him where and what he has to put in which basket and then take it to the clotheslines in the garden.

"ha? what is this?" Jane kneel more closer because apparently something is stuck there.

"What's wrong honey?" Dell ask while he gets closer kneeling to take a look at it as well.

"Looks like... ! ... something ... ! ... is stuck here!." 

"Careful. You gonna break it again. Why don't you try something like this... and then... here we go. Now be careful."

"alright." With some last light push, Jane managed to get out what appears to be Teddy Roosevelt, Dell's teddy bear who wears tiny engineering clothes and that Dell himself takes great care of and also his own mind goes crazy if he lost it for lest than a hour.

"oh! teddy! there you are!" Dell snatches the bear from him and inspects it for any scratch, fortunately there wasn't any on it.

Pancake stands in alert.

"you're welcome." jane says and goes back to what they were doing and take one of the two baskets with clothes from the floor, "can i ask you something dell?"

"What is it?"

"What is the deal with that little toy of yours? Why do you care so much?"

"it is a long story." He responds and takes the other one of the baskets with clothes. 

"oh ok ... would you mind telling me?" they go upstairs, jane goes after the other. Pancake go after them as well.

"I don't know. Are you sure you're not going to get bored like the last one?" Jane shakes his head to make sure that such a thing will not happen. He likes to learn something new from Dell, especially if it is about what his life was like before he met him. They are one of the things that he likes most, know more about the smallest man.

"Fine, I'll tell you." he takes a deep breath, "teddy Roosevelt is the first and last gift I received from my father." Dell said in a kind sad tone.

"your father?" he asks and Dell nods. 

"He gave it to me one day and I've had it ever since. He was the one who made it and gave it to me."

"oh... now I see." Jane was amazed.

"Yeah. but then he... he..." Dell stopped suddenly. Jane noticed that and couldn't help but worry.

"he what?"

"He... disappeared."

"...what?" Jane was confused.

Dell didn't say anything until they stepped out into the backyard, where the clothes lines were located. Pancake was the first to go out into the garden to run from here to there and play while her owners worked. Dell put down the basket that he was carrying and was hanging one by one the clothes from the basket that Jane was holding in his own arms. "He was... a bad father? He treat you bad or something?" 

"No. Nothing like that."

"Then what happened?" Jane was making a face like if he was waiting an good explanation about it.

Dell let go another big breath. "he was not bad. no, none of that. He was the best person you could have ever met. When I was six years old, he told me that he had a mission to fulfill and that he should leave us, and he couldn't tell anyone about it. He gave me the bear before he left and after that I never saw him again. Mom said that him had abandoned us forever. My grandpa said he was traveling through the world. and I had my own theories about what happened to him but... they were very silly because... you know... I was an simple kid."

"really? will you tell me one of your theories?"

"of course not!"

"why?"

"You're going to make fun of me. That's why."

"Come on. I promise i won't."

Dell mumbled something under his breath. "Fine. but If you ever laugh, even the slightest chuckled, I swear to god I'll kick your ass." He take a breath and gulp, "I thought he ... traveled through space and fought with aliens." Dell look to the side, fighting with the rising color that tries to rise through his face.

Jane suddenly turns around. "I... got something in my eye." Jane was trying so hard to not cry with laugh.

"Hey! Are you laughing?" 

"Of course not!" Jane gulp a thick invisible block and face Dell again. "See?" He shows his serious face to him even if he was still laughing from inside.

"Ok. I believe you." He was being sarcastic. 

"Then what happened after that? After your father left I mean." Jane ask suddenly to change the subject.

"Well... after he dissappear and we don't heard a thing from him again. they continue with they normal lifes, my mother and grandpa. But i not believe that. i wanted to find him, or at least know what really happened to him. years later I discovered that job and got the only solid track in a long time for the first time, that he was working for mann.co for so long. So I decided to take the first opportunity that they offer me and join mann.co company to see if I could get some information about him. but... nothing. I didn't find even a grain of sand of what happened to him, not a single clue. So I gave up after many failed attempts and decide to move forward, because I thought it was time to let it go and continue with my life... and the rest of the story you already know. I met you, the other boys, and i found a very attractive fool and somehow managed to make that same fool notice me and make he and me, after we retired, live together in an nice house out of troubles with a nice girl with us."

Pancake stop playing around and run with his short legs to Dell so he could pet her head.

"And that fool is ... very attractive?"

"It is. Although there are some exceptions such as the times it drives me crazy, but yeah, he is handsome."

They laugh together, and jane kiss Dell' forehead. they had finished hanging all the clothes so thet could dry with the sun in the middle of the story and were sitting on one of the benches in the garden. 

Pancake resting at they side shaking her tiny tail.

Dell stared at the teddy lying on a kind of hammock between two ropes to dry itself. He let out a somewhat sad sigh, that he doesn't know that he was holding, thinking in his old man. Jane noticed that last gesture on Dell's face and quickly thought of what to say.

"He surely loved you."

"What."

"Your father surely loved you. Yes. he left and abandoned you but surely he must have had a very good reason to leave without saying anything. And a crucial proof that he loved you is that bear that he himself made and gave to you so that you always Remember him, because surely he was as smart as you to know that you would always have him with you."

Dell looked at the ground, then at the sky, and finally at the bear. He smile again. "Yeah... you are right. That's one of the reasons why i keep it with me all this time. Because i know that he loves me, even if he leave us then."

Jane put his arm around the smaller man and pulled him as close as possible. The solid comfort of jane arms around him always make him happy, they are strong and warm and so soft at the same time... they make him remember about his father. they stayed like that for a while, until Dell spoke again.

"I'm getting hungry. Hey Jane. how about if we go inside and have something to munch? Maybe pie."

"you read my mind." Jane said and dell chuckled. they get up from the bench and head inside the house. pancake follows them from behind.


	5. photos that remind us another time.

Dell was cleaning the room and getting all the clean clothes in their proper place in the closet. while he was checking inside the closet he found a old box and curiosity pinch his nose so he open it without thinking twice to see what was inside of it. 

Inside the box he found their old work uniforms, from when they were still working for the company mann.co. He watched them for a long time as in his head the memories returns of those times when he was in a gravel war. He should be grateful for getting that job since otherwise, having spent a few long years there, he wouldn't have met Jane and the others. He had made both good and bad memories of that place and all the location they have been travel through all those years.

he decides not to keep hovering in the past and to continue cleaning and get all together. He is considering to find another box so he can put there the materials that he was planning to save somewhere else, throw away or donate if possible. but then he just noticed how a couple of photos fell to the ground from one of jane's uniform sleeves. He take them and he reviewed them one by one and got more than one surprise.

"dell!" Jane was calling him from another room.

"yes?"

"Would you mind to come and give me a hand here? And don't forget to bring some towels with you." the voice of the man came from the bathroom.

"okay! give me a sec!" dell put everything in is place, placing what was dirty in a basket, and goes to the bathroom.

In the bathroom he found Jane sitting in the middle of the tub, wearing only tight wet boxer shorts, while in his hands he was firmly holding a scared wet pancake who was trying to escape from the bath she has now. "Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you." Jane whispers to the poor dog to try calming her a little but the dog was still a bit scared.

"Did you call me?"

"Of course, would you mind holding this over her while I bathe this dirty girl and getting the soap out?"

with a smile, dell nods and walks over and takes the bathtub spray in his own hands, jane was trying to stop the dog from moving too much while sponging her fur.

"I don't know why I'm the one who has to do this, she's your dog after all." jane complains a bit.

"Well, I wasn't the one who go outside and play catch in the backyard with her knowing it was raining outside and also get mud all over them."

Jane was about to say something else to defend himself but he closes his mouth instead and dell laughs at him softly. after taking a little breath, dell starts to do some research.

"hey jane."

"hm?"

"I just found some photos along with some old things of yours when I was cleaning the room." He mentioned, holding the water over the poor pancake.

"What did you found?" He ask because he don't paid much attention on what he was saying.

"Our old uniforms when we work for mann.co and some photos that was inside your uniform."

"Oh, did you find my old photos? I didn't remember where I had saved them. I would have liked to be the one who shown them to you when I had the chance, how many did you find?"

"just two."

"Well, there were more that I have out there and I could show you, if I even managed to remember where they are. I promise to find them soon."

"Why not now? I mean after you bath, you could show them to me when you have done here."

"Fine."

"this ... jane?"

"yes?"

"I also found a photo in which you appear together with the demoman from my old team."

"oh ... I thought I burned all of them a long time." He mentions in a somewhat cold tone.

"Wait, he did something to you."

"No. He just... well... let's just say that we have been messing around for a while back there and all but then one day..." he stop, holding pancake in front of him and she lick his nose playfully. 

"Wait. You and the demoman... you two were..." dell made a sign as if trying to assimilate something. Jane caught what he meant with that but seems that dell have misunderstood what he was meaning. 

"No. We were just friends. Nothing like that." dell let out a sigh of relief when hearing that. Jane gave a suggestive look and get closer to dell. "my senses are failing me? Or I'm detecting a trace of jealousy right now." He smirked at dell and the man responded avoiding eye contact with the man letting out a puff, trying to hide the rage blush on his face.

"I do not know what you're talking about." He tried to defend himself but it was too late.

Jane smirked more "If you want to know more about what we were doing then. I can tell about the time he invited me to his house to spend the night and we shared a bed between the two of us and then we-" Jane was cut off by the sudden attack of very cold water coming from the sprayer dell was holding at full power.

"oh sorry. my finger slipped. you say something? " He said in a kinda mad tone.

"I'm joking! I'm joking! Turn that off!." Dell do so after he was sure, jane only laugh, "Don't worry pumpkin, nothing happen between us then and now. I swear. After all of us get retired. Demo called me to tell me that he wanted to make up things with me, to forget the past so that the old days would return. And we get back to be only friends. nothing less, nothing more." Jane make sure to remark that he and demo where friends.

dell raised an eyebrow as if trying to say that he doesn't quite trust jane's words.

jane giggled a little at dell's face. "Well. This little girl is ready now, would you mind drying her off?" Jane handed pancake to dell who had a towel ready to wrap her and get her dry.

"Oh! And when you finish with her, if you want you can take a bath too. Only if you want. After I finish bathing myself of course." Jane closed the bathroom curtains and turned on the bathroom faucet.

"oh. of course I do." Once dell finished drying her, he takes pancake out of the bathroom and close the door behind her, the very confused dog only scratches the door to try to get back in. dell quickly undresses and enters im the bathtub with jane. Jane opens his eyes and smiles when he sees how dell has his arms crossed in front of him.

"Let me remark one little thing to you, and make it very clear. Jane, You're with me." He takes one of Jane's hands and starts sucking one of his finger, "and from now on you're forbidden to see tavish again. I'm not going to let him take you away from me."

"Aww. But he is my friend, why I can't see him now?. What I'm supposed to say to him?"

"I don't care. You have prohibited to even talk to him."

jane raises one eyebrow higher than the other "is that a threat, cupcake?" jane gets so close to dell than he push him against the wall and trapping him between his arms and keep him there, their lips are close to each other.

"No matter what you do, you won't make me change my mind." He whispers against the other's lips.

"But ... wouldn't you be interested in a little ... negotiation?" Jane whispers back getting even closer to the other that their lips were almost touching.

dell couldn't help but smile a little as his excitement was evident, how he hates when jane acts in that way so seductive that made him forget sometimes for what he was mad before. "And ... what kind of negotiation are we talking about?"

jane kisses him for a short period of time. "one where you don't have to say any words, just..." jane made him turn around and made him face the wall, "let it happen." He whisper to his ear with a smirk and reach for the shampoo with one hand, dell can feel a hand rubbing and massaging one of his buttock. 

"oh. I'm intrigued now, Why don't you tell me a little more about that." Pancake in the other side of the door stop her attempt to get inside and go somewhere else because she know what those sounds coming from inside means.

"Come on Jane that's enough. You know I'm very ticklish." no matter how much he asked for him to stop, jane doesn't do that and keep giving small kisses all over the side of his neck affectionately.

"I can't help it. Your skin tastes very good." Jane continues and doesn't stop until dell pushes him away with some force. but he couldn't stop him from stealing a quick kiss.

"Have you hadn't enough of that already?"

"No." He kisses his hand one last time, "now."

dell sits in the middle of the bed to get some rest. Jane checks the wardrobe for a shirt to wear and toss another for dell and returned to sit beside the short man. "hey jane."

"hm?"

"Do you remember that you promised me that you were going to show me those photos that you have?"

"ah but if I-"

"Come on. I want to see them. I am intrigued what may be in them." dell pleaded with puppy dog eyes.

jane rolled his eyes and stood up again "you win. how much i hate when you put that face of yours." dell just chuckled, "Where did you say you found the other photos?"

"I found them while cleaning the closet, they were inside your uniform."

Jane nod and search in the closet "Okay. So that means ... if I remember it well it must be by ... aha! here it is." He takes out a wooden box that looks like a chest with a padlock and carries it to the bed.

while jane keep looking in the closet for the key, dell take an eye at the box and wondered how he had never seen it before, surely jane had it very well hidden from him for some reason. The chest looks very old but it is also in perfect condition although it looks somewhat damaged. "Since when do you have this chest with you?" he asks while holding it in his hands guessing his weight and what could contains. 

"Long before I took that job with that creepy old woman."

dell can't help but gasp, "that old is it?"

"it is."

"And what do you keep here? Surely has important objects."

"things, items that I like to keep from a long time ago and that I like to remember."

"and where did you find it in the first place?"

"Hm... I found it in a very strange kind of boat abandoned when i was traveling. Inside this chest were the most strange glasses that you could imagine and thay were surely made by hippies because they were ridiculously decorated with shiny stones. Those things seemed useless to me so I threw them into the water and kept the chest instead because that seems more important."

"Oh... and what do you keep inside now?"

"Medals that i get and win with such honor and other important things. But we can talk about that later. Now you only asked for the photos." Jane get the key and open the chest. He scramble the object inside the chest looking for something in particular, "ah ha! There they are."

He take what looks like an very old wallet and give it to dell. Dell scan the "wallet" in his own hands, it was deteriorated as hell. He open it and found some photos, rarely in good condition. He takes the first one and look at it with curiosity. 

"Wait, this is from..." 

"Yeah." They look at the photos that have some UFO there. "You remember those aliens that stole our cola?"

"Yeah... who couldn't forget something like that? I remember shortly after that an tiny space ship destroy my entire cabin." 

Jane can't help but laugh, "I bet that was hilarious." 

Dell chuckled as well, "yeah it was hilarious. But not for my wallet though?" Both of them burst with laugh at that.

"And this one?" The next photo shows Jane and the others cleaning up what appears to be debris from a possible catastrophe and there are quite a few orphans and cats in the photo as well.

"That was the time your team sent a train with a bomb towards our base and almost destroyed some buildings. Remember?."

"Oh..." he remember very well that. "I didn't-" 

"Don't worry. It's ok." Jane promise and dell smile again. 

Dell take the next photo.

"Ha i remember that one." Dell take one that has the other mercs fighting merasmus, "You remember that? We surely kick merasmus ass really good that time? We make a good team all of us together."

"Err... i prefer to not talk about merasmus right now." Internally he wonders where merasmus is right now and only hope that magician not cause troubles soon. He take a eye at another photos. "What's this one?" He show jane one were it appears him with merasmus and demoman together. 

"Oh! That one was take when i take demo to see my old roommate merasmus, but demo seems to don't like him at all because at the second he saw him, he takes his own sword and almost cut his throat."

"Mmhm." (I wish that happen) "and this... wait. It's that... a giant bread?" 

"It is Dell. One day we fought against a bread monster, you should have been there when that happens. Scout was eaten alive by that thing along with miss Pauling, pyro take one of his tentacles and keep it like a weird doll and drink tea with it for a week until medic take it away from him and heavy make a paper hat that looks like that monsters but much smaller so we can remember when that happens."

"really? That's amazing!" a normal person surely would be terrified or at least very confused if someone told you that a monster made of bread once existed. but Dell is not like those people, after everything they have been through. having seen aliens, ghostly wizards and experiencing death a thousand times. After all that, you would believe if someone told you that bigfoot even exists or if they saw a yeti or that a bread monster existed. Nothing surprised these guys anymore.

"You have more histories like that?" Dell ask kindly putting the wallet inside the chest again. 

"I have a lot of them. Ever i told you the time when me and the team has been in..." and so go on, The night continues in this peaceful way with both of them telling each other an interesting story from when they were working for mann.co. pancake was with them all the time, but she had fallen asleep long ago over a pink big pillow that pyro made to her when they come to visit. the boy seems to like her a lot when they see her for a second. 

It was getting very late and Dell was feeling a little tired now.

With a yawn, he shut the current history jane was telling him "well darling. they were some very good stories, but i think is already too late. why don't we leave it for today and rest a little?"

Jane only nod felling a little tired as well. "Sounds like a plan to me."

"hey jane."

"yes?"

"Do you promise me that tomorrow you will show me what else you have in your chest?"

"Only if you promise there will be pancakes with lots of honey for breakfast." Pancake wakes up and stand in alert.

"deal."

they turn off the lamp and climb in the bed to sleep and lay next to each other. Jane placing his arms around the other being the big spoon tonight and dell the small one. dell was about to fall asleep if wasn't for that sound that stopped him for doing so. Seems that pancake was trying to get on the bed but she couldn't do it because she is still too small that she can't jump high enough to get in. "aww..." dell can't say no to her little girl. making sure the other person behind him was sound asleep. dell helped the little pancake onto the bed.

Jane gets really mad when dell do that, allowing pancake to sleep with them since according to him, dogs don't sleep with humans in their beds. but dell don't has the heart to say no to his little girl. Jane can complain all he wants in the morning but tonight she stays by his side.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that the little swap that i made in some events on the original history of team fortress don't cause some troubles.


	6. Autumn joy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane hate/love him so much that it's almost really hard to hold an simple smile.

"dammit." Jane mutters under his breath after the wind blew again, moving the leaves with different colors, from the ground where he pile them to another place and scattering them for the fifth time of the day as he went to find a garbage bag. 

Taking the rake firmly he prepared to put them together again even if it took him all day.

He and Dell had divided the household chores. Dell was in charge of inside the house and he was in charge of sweeping the leaves that fell to the ground in this season in which the leaves of the trees take on beautiful reddish colors.

And after they have finished the two of them promised that they would have a little picnic outside taking advantage of the perfect weather.

Jane takes a breath, stretching his back which cracked a bit. He stands firmly, Stopping for a moment, to contemplate his hard work for the sixth time, he bent down to pick up the garbage bag at his side that this time it occurred to him to leave it close before the wind begins to blow again.

"Incoming!"

Jane quickly turned around and saw the scene in front of him as if it was in slow motion. the same Dell next to pancake had made a direct jump towards the pile of leaves that he, himself, had gathered together for so long.

"NOOOO!"

He can't stop then in time and they land on the earth and piles of leaves flew everywhere. Jane stood frozen in place with a look of shock soon that face turn on one that has pure anger and fury on it that slowly built inside him.

Dell, lying on the floor, laughed nonstop until his face turned red from lack of air. (The overgrown now) pancake continues to jump through the leaves and tries to catch them in its snout in midair before they fall to the ground.

After taking a deep breath and wiping a few tears, Dell stops laughing for once and sits amid the leaves. "Fiu, that was really something. ah... I always wanted to do that."

Jane, on the other hand, wasn't that happy or even laughing at all, no, he was so red with anger he was holding back so he didn't have to yell at the man who just ruined his hard job.

"Why you... you... you son of... AH! I give up!." He throws the rake to the ground in such a way that it could almost have broken.

"aw! don't be mad like that hon, it's not that bad."

"It's not that bad, you say! I would like to see the face you make when someone comes out of nowhere and ruins your hard job because this person just did something stupid." Jane crossed his arms and gives Dell his back.

Dell, still laughing, stood up shaking some dirt and leaves from his pants. "Well then. In my defense I can remind you of some cases in which a certain person invade my workshop without warning and took me out of it to go out somewhere else with this same person and leaving my work behind."

Jane kept giving him his back muttering something under his breath, "...that was different. and shut up, I don't want to hear your excuses."

Dell approaches the angry man from behind and wraps his arms around him and kisses that part behind his neck. "Don't be mean hun. I promise I'll help you this time. If you show me a little smile of yours in return."

Jane looks at the man who has his arms around him from the corner of his eye and watches as he gives him that warm smile that he doesn't show to anyone except him of course. He turns around quickly to avoid blushing so much.

"fine!" He exclaimed, "but you better help me because otherwise I will make you regret what you just said."

"Whatever you say mister. but you don't think you're forgetting something."

"forgetting what?" Dell points at his own lips, with his finger, that are curled into a smile.

Jane rolled his eyes and smiled, but only for a second then after that he returns to his stoic face again. "There, now do something useful." He gives him the rake.

Dell showed the saddest face he could, "aww... but that was too short. I want to see a little more."

"If you don't want me to shove this shovel on your ass, you'd better not play with your luck and start doing something useful. Now let's get to work."

Dell sniffed and wiped away an invisible tear. "You're so mean to me."

"Get to work!"

After so long work of getting rid of all the leaves from the ground. Dell set everything in its place and he started the picnic in the garden.

He was playing some typical autumn song with his guitar while watching his little girl playing a little with some squirrels that were hanging around. on the other side of the blanket was a grumpy jane eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Smiling, he decided to play a little with the man. "Y'know darling, you need to learn how to smile some more. mens like you are more handsome when they have a smile on them." 

Jane stop for a second, but then just pretend that he didn't heard what dell said and keep eating his sandwich.

"I'm just saying darling." he chuckled and keep playing his guitar. 

"What are you playing?" He suddenly asked hiding his curiosity. 

"Er. Nothing in special. Just an odd song that i used to heard sometimes in the radio and i like a lot, the song it's about the colors that those leaves have on them when this season comes."

"Oh... it's terrible. You're so bad at it." He said coldly. 

"If you said so sir." He stop playing and decided to eat something. 

"What are you doing?" Jane speak half annoyed. "why do you stop? "

Dell, with a confused look, "you just said it was terrible." He ask right to the man.

"Yeah but, but... that doesn't mean you should stop."

Dell stood still waiting for an explanation, but after confirming that the man wasn't going to give it to him. He just shrugged and picked up his guitar again to continue playing.

Jane doesn't say anything else and continue eating something.

"Y'know, I can teach you to play, the guitar I mean, so you can play it every time you want to hate something."

"Don't bother... I prefer to listen to you because... when you play it it sounds even worse."

"thanks." dell responds 'sarcastically' "I hate you."

"I hate you even more." jane returns him.

Dell starts laughing, maybe too much, but it was a real laugh as if he was very happy with this strange moment in which he is enjoying with jane and in which they are hating each other.

Looking sideways, jane contemplates how the man was laughing in that cute and adorable way with those red cheeks. unknowingly, his own lips formed a smile.

Dell gasped and collapsed to the ground so suddenly in such way that it scared the same jane and the poor pancake.

jane drops his sandwich to the ground and goes quickly to dell side "what happened to you?" Jane was a little worried about him as he held him by the shoulders.

"you..."

"Me? Me what?"

"You... smiled."

"..." Jane drop him and let fell to the ground again. Showing his teeths, he pointed an ugly finger to him "screw you. You piece of... you make me worry. You stupid cream puff." 

"Sorry hun. But it was fun." 

Jane grumbles covering his face with the palm of his hand. "Just... just don't do it again."

"Only if you smile for me again."

Jane gives him his back. "no."

"come on."

"I said no."

"don't be mean."

"you want me to get mad at you again maggot?"

.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like it.
> 
> More coming. 
> 
> .


End file.
